Economic Assistance

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Social Services Block Grant Information

The federal Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funds States, territories, and insular areas for the provision of social services directed toward achieving economic self-support or self-sufficiency, preventing or remedying neglect, abuse, or the exploitation of children and adults, preventing or reducing inappropriate institutionalization, and securing referral for institutional care, where appropriate. The SSBG funds for each state are determined by a statutory formula based on each State's population.

The Social Service Block Grant (SSBG) is not the type of grant that agencies or citizens can apply for -- it is a Federal block grant to states, territories, and insular areas.The Iowa Legislature annually allocates Iowa's anticipated SSBG funds to different programs, services, and administrative support through the budget process. DHS budgets SSBG funds to the applicable programs, services, and administrative support consistent with Legislative intent. Additional information can be found at Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 441-153.

In Iowa, SSBG dollars do not fully fund any type of service, but it is combined with other state, local, and federal funding sources to provide services to vulnerable Iowans. The current SSBG plan uses a majority of the intended funding for field operations case management and child and family services home-based services to families and independent or transitional living services to children aging out of the foster care system.

Each year, the Department develops an Intended Use Plan and Pre-Expenditure Report for the upcoming fiscal year. Public input is sought for two weeks during a posted public comment period, typically following the legislative session. This year, the public comment period is May 17th - May 30, 2018. The current version of the draft intended use plan and pre-expenditure report can be found through this link: Proposed Pre Expenditure Report 2019. The finalized report is scheduled to be submitted to the Administration for Children & Families, Federal Office of Community Support, prior to June 1st.

The final expenditure report for the previous fiscal year is submitted to the Adult, Children and Families Federal Office of Community Support by December 31st each year. The current version of the expenditure report can be found through this link, 2017 Expenditure Report.